Australia vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Match Tips - Sri Lanka save face with opening ODI victory

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: 10 Feb 2025

Jeremy Darke 10 Feb 2025

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Australia vs Sri Lanka predictions
First ball between Australia vs Sri Lanka is at 3:00 PM AEDT, Thursday, February 12
Kusal Mendis leads Sri Lanka in the first ODI against Australia.
Sri Lanka has a strong recent ODI home record against top teams.
Preview, stats, team news & more

Sri Lanka will fight for respect in the opening one day international. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP) (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Australia vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Match Tips

Kusal Mendis will lead the Sri Lankans to victory in the opening test as the home team bounce back from a poor test series in Galle.

Australia vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Match Tips
Head to Head
Australia Form
Australia Squad
Sri Lanka Form
Sri Lanka Squad
Australia vs Sri Lanka Frequently Asked Questions

Sri Lanka’s recent one-day international form at home is too good to look past despite the poor performance in their two game test series against Australia where they went down 0-2.

The Sri Lankans have been a tough beat knocking off the top nations like India, New Zealand and the West Indies, along with Afghanistan and Zimbabwe all in the past 12 months. Australia are high on confidence but the one-day game brings a whole other set of challenges in Colombo.

Kusal Mendis was one of the very few highlights for Sri Lanka in the test series and is in incredible one-day form heading into this series against Australia, scoring 143 and 74 runs in their 2-0 series victory over New Zealand in their most recent ODI series at home. Expect Mendis to lead the pack for the home team and score a half-century.

Mitchell Starc had a quiet test series for the Australians with the bowling attack being highly focused around the spinners. Starc will now have his chance to make an impact and will claim 2+ wickets in the opening match of the series.

Head to Head

Series Played: 8

Australia: 3

Sri Lanka: 4

Draw: 1

Sri Lanka won the most recent series 3-2, in Sri Lanka, in 2022.
Both Australia and Sri Lanka have won two of the past 5 series with the fifth being a draw.

Australia Form

The famously named ‘second coming’ of former Australian captain Steve Smith is well and truly upon us with the 35-year-old scoring a total of 272 runs (141 + 131+) in his two innings in the test series where the Aussies swept the Sri Lankans in dominant fashion. Josh inglis had his debut in the test team, riding the high and then the hard low, scoring 102 in his first appearance and getting bowled for a duck in his second opportunity at the crease.

Being a spinners pitch in Galle, Mitch Starc had a quiet series, however, he comes in with strong form and will lead the pace attack in this two-game series. Aussie bowlers Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshius had a strong BBL14 all taking double-digit wickets in the tournament and are all fighting to cement their place in the squad on a full-time basis.

Australia Squad

Travis Head, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis, Tanveer Sangha.

Sri Lanka Form

It was a tough home test series for the Sri Lankans who were simply out-classed by a stronger and more clinical Aussie outfit.

Dinesh Chandimal (189 runs) and Kusal Mendis (188 runs) were the consistent batters for the Sri Lankans however it wasn’t enough to trouble the visitors who held the home side to no more than 257 runs in their 4 innings at bat.

The Sri Lankans have been in strong one-day international form of late, despite going down to the Kiwis 2-1 in their most recent series in New Zealand. Sri Lanka haven’t been beaten on home soil in 10 series, winning 9 and drawing once, dating back to July 2021, when they lost to India.

Sri Lanka Squad

(Yet to be confirmed)

Australia vs Sri Lanka Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Australia vs Sri Lanka start?

First ball between Australia vs Sri Lanka is at 3:00 PM AEDT, Thursday, February 12

What channel is Australia vs Sri Lanka on?

You can watch Australia vs Sri Lanka on Channel Seven, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports

Verdict

Kusal Mendis will lead the Sri Lankans to victory with a half-century in the opening test as the home team bounce back from a poor test series in Galle, while Mitch Starc will claim 2 wickets for Australia.

Sri Lanka

Money Line

$3.20 - 1 Unit

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Kusal Mendis

50+ Runs

$3.40 - 1 Unit

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Mitchell Starc

2+ Wickets

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